A current edition of the Archives of Internal Medicines made mention of an interesting report, according to which a deficiency of vitamin D may augment the probability of suffering from a heart attack. What are the implications for you?
Well let us first look at the data produced. The report is a part of a wider study that consisted of 51,000 male health care professionals who studied the correlation between the lifestyle (especially diet) and the risk of numerous diseases. Out of the whole group, only 454 people had suffered from their first heart attack between the year 1994 and 2004. The scientists afterwards made a comparison between the levels of vitamin D (which was measured as 25-hydroxy-vitamin D or 25-OH-D) of the persons who had a heart attack with the 25-OH-D levels of 900 similar men who had never suffered from a heart attack.
The average 25-OH-D level of the men in the survey who had suffered from heart attacks was slightly lower (23.0 ng/mL) than those of the men without any heart attack (24.5).
The most troubling finding, however, is that the men who had the lowest levels of 25-OH-D less than 15 were 2.5 times more probable to suffer from a heart attack than were the men with levels over 30.
Moreover, one of the elements that make this a credible study is that the authors have tried to take into consideration various other known risk factors for heart attacks, like age, weight, smoking, blood pressure, smoking, cholesterol, family history and level of exercise practiced. Once the researchers adjusted for these factors, the probability of suffering from a heart attack for men with 25-OH-D levels lower than 15, dropped to around twice that of men with levels over 30, nearly a 100 percent raise in risk.
It is necessary, also, to understand that this is solely an estimate of the risk. Because only 454 men in the study (less than 1 %) had suffered from heart attacks, the figures imply that the real risk for men with very low 25-OH-D levels could be found anywhere from as low as a 25 percent raise in risk to as high as a 250 percent increased risk, compared to the men who had vitamin D levels over 30.
For the more usual case of slightly low levels of vitamin D, between 15 and 30 – the probability of heart attacks were approximately 1.5 times more (a 50 percent increased probability). However, the variation in the statistics of this estimate of risks was found to be as low as zero to as high as twofold.
Moreover, this can be put in perspective along with the other heart attack risk factors. Extremely low levels of 25-OH-D, below 15, are uncommon, but seem to double the probability of a heart attack. Reasonable low levels, around 15 to 30, may be responsible for a much smaller rise in the risk. In comparison, the conventional risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking and diabetes, increases the heart attack risk by 5 to 20 times.
That is, if your main concern is enduring a heart attack, having a low vitamin D is comparatively a minor issue. It will do you more good to focus your efforts on managing the known major risk factors.
You should take note that this research did not prove that taking additional vitamin D lowers the risk of a heart attack. It is probable that the persons in the study who did not suffer from heart attacks not only consumed more of vitamin D but they were also able to decrease their risk by beginning to take statins in order to lower their cholesterol or by adopting other lifestyle changes.
In the past, many of us thought that we could reduce the risks of heart attacks by giving women estrogen after they have reached their menopause. Even now there is good data showing that lower levels of estrogen could be associated with a higher risk of heart attack, however, it had been recently learned that consuming additional estrogen does not decrease that risk very much.
In reality, the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study, which had played a major part in changing our beliefs regarding estrogen replacement, also looked at vitamin D supplements. Fascinatingly, the WHI found out that having supplements of vitamin D did not defend women against heart attacks. Another research showed that taking additional vitamin D might reduce the risk of heart attack by little, but it was not able to prove any sure benefit.
So how is this study on vitamin D and heart attacks useful? We are already aware that there exist numerous well established health risks concerning low vitamin D that are not related to the heart. It is therefore sensible to measure your 25-OH-D level every alternate year, and attempt to keep the value above 34-40 ng/mL. Most people can achieve this by exposing their arms and face in the sun for 5 to 15 minutes, without any sunscreen, daily. Having an intake of a supplement with 800-1,200 units of additional vitamin D on a daily basis is also a good idea.
However, if reducing your heart attack risks is one of your major concerns, you should concentrate more on crucial issues like doing more exercises, trying to lose excess weight, quitting smoking as well as keeping an eye on your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
Source: Yahoo News
Thu, Feb 18, 2010
Anti Aging, Health And Aging, Lifestyle, Longevity